Sheet-metal flume.



K. J. THORSBY SHEET METAL FLUME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1915.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

mwlm l t It A KARL JOHAN THORSBY, O15 OAKLAND, CAIiIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA COR- RUGATED CULVER'I COMPANY, 01? OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALH'ORNIA.

Letters Patent.

SHEET-METAL FL'UMJE.

Patented Apr. 25, fflllfl.

Application filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL JonAN THORSBY, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Flumes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal flumes, its object being to provide a means to compensate for the longitudinal expansion and contraction of the flume, due to changes in temperature, and it has the following dis-' tinct advantages :(1) The inner surface of the flume is smooth and unbroken; (2) no solder or rivets, which would tend to weaken such construction, are used.

My invention consists essentially in a flume section, circumferentially grooved, channeled, wrinkled, corrugated, creased or fluted outwardly from its inner surface, the inner recesses, depressions or valleys thus formed. being filled with a suitable adhesive and elastic material, in such manner that the interior smoothness of the flume is unbroken.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my flume sections, showing it connected up with adjacent sections of the flume. Fig. 2 is a section, enlarged, on the line w-m of Fig. 1.

1 is a sheet metal flume section, connected to adjacent sections 2 by means of joints 3. The section 1 is circumferentially grooved, channeled, wrinkled, corrugated, creased 0r fluted in planes transverse to its axis. For convenience I will term it fluting, the flutes taking as their best form a plurality of substantially rectangular ridges 5, extending outwardly from the general inner surface of the section, the bottom of the intervening valley 4 terminating short of the general inner surface of said section. The depressions of these transverse flutes are filled with a suitable material 6, which is elastic, adhesive, and unaflected by the liquid transported through the flume; as, for example, when water is carried by the flume, an asphaltic compound can be used for the elastic filling in the flutes. The filling 6, it will be seen also covers the inner surface of the intervening valley 4, and the level of said filling continues the smooth, unbroken inner surface of the section.-

The section 1, with its transverse flutes, is

flume sections 2, and is joined to them by means of any suitable coupling or joint. These olnts are shown as of a type now well known, comprising an inner compression member 7, outer clamping members 8, and hanger plates 9, and these joints may be filled with the elastic material, as shown at 10, to preserve the smoothness of the interior of the flume.

When the metal of the flume expands or contracts, on account of temperature changes, the longitudinal strains thereby set up are absorbed by the distortion of the walls of the flutes .and the elastic material 6 within them. By interposing such fluted sections at suitable intervals along a flume,

longitudinal motion of the flume.

The plural form of flute with intervening relatively shallow valley is more practical in manufacture as having less tendency to crack the metal or its galvanized coating at the corners, Moreover, this form, by afl0rding opportunity for a continuous mass of filling in contradistinction to separate masses, .as would be the case if the intervening Valle 41: were as deep as the valleys of the ridges 5, tends to a more uniform distribution of any rise or inequality which may take place in the inner surface of the filling, due to movement of the flute walls toward each other, thereby decreasing the tendency to undue roughness or inequality in the flume interior.

,With sections such as 1, having the clastic filling in its flutes, the inner surface of the flume is entirely smooth and free from depressions or obstructions which would cause friction of the flowing water; and furthermore, the flutes being directly impressed in the metal sheet itself, rivets and solder are avoided, and this has proven to be an important factor in sheet metal flumeconstruction.

I claim 1. In a sheet metal flume, the combination of a series of smooth flume sections; a flume W section having circumferential flutes extending outwardly from its inner surface; elastic material filling the interior depressions of said flutes to the level of the inner 5 surface of the section; and means for joining the ends of said fluted section to the adjacent ends of the smooth flume sections. 2. In a sheet metal flume, the combination of a series of smooth flume sections; a flume section having circumferential flutes extending outwardly from its inner surface, said flutes being of substantially rectangular form in cross section; elastic material fillin the interior depressions of said flutes to the level of the inner surface of the section; and

means for joining the ends of said fluted section to the adjacent ends of the smooth flume sections.

3. In a sheet metal flume, the combination :0 of a series of smooth flume sections; a flume section having circumferential flutes extending outwardly from its inner surface; elastic material filling the interior depressions of said flutes to the level of the inner surface 1 of the section to preserve a smooth interior therefor; and couplings for joining the ends of the fluted flume section to the adjacent ends of the smooth flume sections, said coupllngs lying outside the circle of the '0 general inner surface of the flume and havmg in their interstices a filling the inner surface of which is on a level with and continues the smooth interior of the flume.

4. In a sheet metal. flume, the combination of a series of smooth flume sections; a flume section having circumferential flutes extending outwardly from its inner surface, said flutes being of substantially rectangular form in cross section; elastic material fillin 40 the interior depressions of said flutes to the level of the inner surface of the section to preserve a smooth interior therefor; and couplings for joining the ends of the fluted flume section to the adjacent ends of the 1 smooth flume sections, said couplings lying .filling the depressions of said ridges and covering the inner surface of the floor of the intervening valley, said filling being carried to the level of and continuing the smooth unbroken inner surface of said sec tion; and means for joining the ends of said fluted section to the adjacent ends of the smooth flume sections.

6. In a sheet metal flume, the combination of a series of smooth flume sections; a flume .section fluted with plural circumferential ridges extending outwardly from the inner surface, the intervening exterior valley between said ridges being of less depth than the height of the ridges, both ridges and intervening valley being of substantially rectangular form in cross section; elastic material filling the depressions of said ridges and covering the inner surface of the floor of the intervening valley, said fillin being carried to the level of and continuing the smooth unbroken inner surface of said section; and means for joining the ends of said fluted section to the adjacent ends of the smooth flume sections.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KARL J OHAN THORSBY.

Witnesses:

S. A. FORD, C. R. Honcxm. 

